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Bagels and Bluegrass renamed for founder

Saturday, October 12 will be the first time for cyclists to ride under the KJ100 moniker. Organizers of the Bagels and Bluegrass Bicycle Century Tour made the decision to rename the 18-year old event to honor and memorialize its founder Dr. Kent Jones.

The newly-renamed Kent Jones Bicycle Century Tour will maintain the established routes of the former Bagels and Bluegrass ride. The routes are designed for beginners to advanced riders. There are 14-, 32-, 62- and 100-mile routes. Both the 100-mile century and 62-mile metric-century routes will take cyclists through Pinson Mounds and Chickasaw State Parks.

In addition to the bicycle tour, a 5K run will also be held on the JSCC campus. “This will be the second year for the 5K run,” said event organizer Mary Beth Hopper. “This allows for the event to be more inclusive for friends and family members that don’t ride. The addition of the run is also an excellent opportunity to grow this long-standing annual event.”

Jones, a prominent physician and avid cyclist, started the century tour in 2001 as a way to bring cyclists together for a day and enjoy a scenic tour of the rural West Tennessee countryside. He also saw this as a way to help fund scholarships for students at Jackson State Community College.

While serving as chief of staff at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, Dr. Jones was instrumental in establishing the EMT program in 1982. Since the ride’s inception in 2001, nearly $40,000 has been raised to help students with expenses related to attending the college.

Sadly, Dr. Jones passed away in November. Consequently, the presentation of funds from the 2018 event was delayed until this past April. The Dr. Kent Jones Scholarship at JSCC received a $2,000 donation and the Pinson Mounds and Chickasaw State Parks received $400 each at the check presentation ceremony.

For more information about the KJ100 and 5K, go to jscc.edu/kj100 or call 731-616-7474.